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Chancellor of the King's Council (Telamon)
The Chancellor of the King's Council, commonly known as the King's Chancellor or simply Chancellor, is the head of government of the Five Kingdoms of Telamon. As such, the Chancellor presides over the Cabinet, a sub-committee of the King's Council, which is the de jure supreme executive authority in Telamon (but in reality has little power). The Chancellor technically serves at the pleasure of the Monarch, but, in practice, whoever commands the confidence of the Popular Assembly is appointed Chancellor. The Chancellor is assisted by the Vice-Chancellor. The current (and first) Chancellor is Jacob Bergstrom of the Royalist Unity Party, who was appointed to that office by High King Hugo I in January 3481. History The office of Chancellor was established in January 3481, after the equivalent office of Hand of the King was abolished by incumbent King's Hand Jacob Bergstrom, who had, several months earlier been elected to the latter office. Appointment The Chancellor is dependent on the support of the Popular Assembly. After every election, the High King invites the person who he feels is most likely to command the confidence of the Assembly to form government. This is done on the advice of the outgoing Chancellor. Should the new appointee accept to task of forming government, he must, as soon as possible, demonstrate that he has the confidence of the Assembly. If not, his commission lapses. If the Popular Assembly votes that it has no confidence in the government, the Chancellor must resign and advise the High King to appoint a new Chancellor (or be dismissed by the High King). Alternative, the Chancellor may ask for the dissolution of the Assembly, triggering new elections. Powers The Chancellor, as the head of government, is the most powerful government official in Telamon; the High King is a non-executive head of state with little actual authority. One of the Chancellor's primary duties is to preside over the Cabinet, and in doing so plays a major role in shaping its policy. He is a clearly dominant figure in the Cabinet, instead of being first among equals. Additionally, he has the power to appoint Ministers and dismiss them without reference to any other authority (technically, Ministers are appointed by the High King, but he does so on the advice of his Chancellor). As well as appointing Ministers, the Chancellor has the power to make other appointments. All senior bureaucrats, military commanders, diplomats and judges are also appointed by the High King on the Chancellor's advice. Thus, the Chancellor has immense power through patronage. While the High King is the nominal commander-in-chief of the Telamonese Armed Forces, it is the Chancellor who is the ''de facto ''commander-in-chief. Additionally, the Chancellor indirectly appoints the Minister of Defence, who is the civilian head of the Armed Forces. As stated above, senior military officers also depend on the Chancellor for appointment. In the Telamonese political system, the executive depends on the confidence of the legislature to govern. This means that in ordinary situations, the Chancellor would command the support of the Popular Assembly, he is therefore responsible for setting the nation's legislative agenda and can modify the law with relative ease. Additionally, the Chancellor serves as the public face of his party and Cabinet. As such, the Chancellor is instrumental in shaping the public image of his government. He thus exercises a significant degree of influence over political opinion, especially in his capacity as a party leader. Vice-Chancellor The Vice-Chancellor is the Chancellor's deputy. While the office itself carries little authority, it is given to a Minister as a mark of additional prestige; the Vice-Chancellor is therefore a high influential member of the government. Additionally, the Vice-Chancellor will act as Chancellor in the event that the Chancellor is temporarily incapable of performing his official duties, or in the interval between the vacation of the Chancellorship and the appointment of a new Chancellor. Privileges The Chancellor, like other members of the King's Council, is entitled to the lifelong style of "The Right Honourable", while other members of the Popular Assembly are entitled only to "The Honourable". These styles are normally reserved only for nobles. The Chancellor is also entitled to reside at an official residence in central Telapolis, the Telamonese capital. He has two other secondary residences, one in southern Migadon not far from Telapolis, and another on the coast of Antepec. The Chancellor's workplace is the Palace of the King's Council, which is next to the legislature. He also has a private aircraft and security guards. While the base salary of a member of the Popular Assembly is £20,000, the Chancellor receives a bonus salary of £22,000 (giving a total of £42,000), making him the highest-paid legislator in the country. Upon retirement, he will also receive a significant pension. List of Chancellors Category:Telamonese Government Category:Telamon Category:History of Telamon